Page 16 of Sniper

My beat-up car, which I got for a steal last year, decided to break on me again, and right now, I just can’t afford to get it fixed. I also don’t have a stroller for Autumn, which means I have to carry her.

Damn, I’m tired now….

Autumn squeals as she knocks over her sandpile, and I smile and watch her and the delight that overtakes her chubby features.

It’s amazing how the little things make her happy.

I grin, leaning against the bench seat just before a throat clears. I look to my right to see the guy from the bakery, and my stomach flips as we make eye contact again, my mouth parting a little.

I can’t help it, he’s just…wow…. Damn.

He smirks, clearly seeing my awe-struck face and rasps, “You dropped this on your way out of the bakery.”

He holds up Mr. Bunny, a stuffie that Hannah gave Autumn before helping us onto the bus out of New York. I sigh in relief, whispering, “Thank you,” just as Autumn squeals, “Mr. Bunny!”

The man chuckles, looking her way to see her trying to climb out of the sandbox to get her light blue stuffed bunny.

I go to stand and grab her, but the man beats me, shocking me as he kneels before her and shakes the stuffie, cooing, “Is this yours, princess?”

Autumn grins, nodding so quickly that I’m surprised she’s not given herself whiplash, and the guy chuckles, handing it to her.

“There you go, Princess,” he murmurs, looking at her with adoration that makes my heart skip a beat.

No, no, no! Bad heart!

I swallow hard, wishing for these butterflies to disappear. “Thank you so much for bringing it. She would have screamed the place down if she noticed it gone.”

He looks my way, his face softening. “It was my pleasure…. I uh, I noticed you walked over here….”

My hackles rise.

What? Can a woman not walk ten minutes down the road?

I raise a brow and state defensively, “And?”

He smirks. “Down, Firecracker,” he says, the nickname hitting me right in the chest.

Damn….

“Liv mentioned you have a car, but it’s broken down at the motel just on the edge of town.”

I clear my throat, hating that she saw me kicking the wheel last week, and admit, "It died….”

His smirk deepens. "When you say it died, explain.” I raise another brow at him, and he grins, admitting, “I’m a mechanic.” Well, that explains the overalls and wife beater, which…yeah. I blink, trying to get out of my lust-fogged head, and he continues, “When you tried to turn it over, what noise did it make?”

I think momentarily, and then intimidate the clicking noise without thinking, making him chuckle. I groan out of embarrassment and say, “It sounded like really loud clicking….”

He nods. “Your starter is f—” He looks Autumn’s way, making me smile, and he amends, “Is done. It needs replacing.”

I bite my bottom lip, trying not to curse in front of my girl, before asking, “How much does something like that cost?”

I’m mentally doing the math in my head, which, yes, I still suck at, but I have roughly $236.89 in my savings account. I’m trying to save for a new bed and couch, but I need four wheels. These five months without a car is hard.

The guy shrugs, sitting beside me, making my palms sweat, and states, “One date.” My eyes widen at his bluntness, and he grins. “That’s the payment to fix your car so you can drive little miss there about, and not have to carry her, because I can bet she isn’t light…. One date.”

I look at Autumn, happily playing with her bunny in the sand.

Why would he want to date me?

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